Moments
by Acoustic Juliet
Summary: A drabble. They should make patches for adolescent love. [Nelson & Santos]


Title: Moments  
Genre: General/Humor  
Content: PG  
Spoilers: Season 4, Canadian style.  
Summary: A drabble; "They should make patches for adolescent love."

Author's Note: This came out of NOWHERE and was written in twenty minutes, because I got bored of watching a 7th Heaven rerun. I felt like delving in to the Manny/Emma friendship, and I ended up delving in to their . . . _bad habits_. Well, you'll see, now, won't you?

Moments

"When did it all change?"

Deep brown eyes bored in to those of a brilliant hazel, as two young females lay sprawled atop a twin-sized bed within a dreary basement atmosphere. The one with dark hair lay with her arms folded beneath her chin, whilst the other - with fine blond tresses - sat with her legs spread across the patterned comforter, her irises shifting in size with the flickering of the lightened room with each passing flash of lightening and roar of thunder. Her sight fixed on her friend, silent and awaiting an answer to a question she could not begin to comprehend.

"I don't know," said the blond, fidgeting with the hem of her cotton T-shirt. "There were a thousand turning-points; I've stopped keeping records of them all."

"But," began the brunette, as she sat up, crossing her legs beneath her as she continued. "_When_ did _everything_ change? I mean, there were all these little moments; but there's always this _one_ moment, you know, that completely alters everything else, good or bad . . . and I just . . . _When_ did it all change?"

The blond contemplated the words momentarily, her eyes streaming beneath the soft glow of the damp room, the air thick and humid.

"There were so many moments, Manny," she said. "There was the Internet pedophile, your impregnation, the shooting, the Prom, and all the moments in between. So, I really can't say when it all changed. Change doesn't just _happen_; it's gradual."

"But there's _always_ a moment, Emma," voiced Manny. "For everyone, in everyone's life, there's a moment, you know?"

Emma shifted atop the cushioning and leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows atop her knees and her chin against the palms of her hands. "Then tell me, Manny, when was _your_ moment?"

"Easy," said Manny lightly. "When Craig told me he regretted everything that happened in Grade 9. I'd wanted to _die_; but then I realized what a total jerk Craig Manning can truly be, and I decided to revolutionize Manuela Santos and everything she ever stood for, because when someone like Craig Manning gets to you . . . well . . . you know something in your life has _got_ to change."

"Craig said all that to you?" pondered Emma aloud, her tone eerily soft.

"Yeah," said Manny breathily. "He did. But I don't care anymore. I don't regret anything that happened with Craig. I don't regret the abortion and I don't regret . . . I don't regret every hooking up with him in the first place. I'm happy with who I am, and if screwing up is what brought me to this point, where I can finally accept myself for who I am, then thank God in Heaven for bringing Craig Manning to me, because even if he _is_ a total schmuck, he really did change my life."

Emma chuckled and sighed. "So you _don't_ hate Craig for messing with you?"

Manny thought for a moment and shook her head, grinning slightly. "No," she answered. "Not really. I mean, sometimes I wish that I could hate him, but I never did. Even when he hurt me . . . even through seeing him with Ashley again and again . . . even after his _regret speech_ - no. I don't hate him. I'm sort of thankful, truth be told." Manny eyed Emma curiously. "What about you, Em? There's got to be _something_."

"Sean," stated Emma plainly.

"_Sean?_" exclaimed Manny, eyes widening. "As in Cameron?"

"Yeah," sighed Emma. "As in Cameron."

"I don't get it. He ditched you for a guy who eventually gave you the fabulous gift of an STD and you're thankful for _Sean?_"

"Well, yeah," said Emma. "He was the first guy, you know, who actually made me feel special and like I could accomplish anything in the world no matter the obstacles in my path. And even through everything he did to me and everything I did to him in revenge, he still managed to save my life."

"Sean's that type of guy, Em," said Manny. "He wouldn't have let you die. He would've done that for anyone."

"Not what he did for me." said Emma. "I'm not talking about the part where he wrestled the gun away from Rick. There was something else . . ."

"Emma . . ."

"He grabbed a hold of my arm and tried to pull me away. He could've just said _let's go_, but he didn't . . . he grabbed my arm, you know? And that was my moment, I guess." Emma bit her bottom lip and leaned back against the wall behind her. "It sounds cheesy, I know; but you've got yours and I've gone mine, right?"

"So the two guys in our life that completely abandoned us turn out to be the most special, eh?" Manny nodded her head. "Yeah, we're definitely _not_ as screwed up as I thought we were."

"Shut up," laughed Emma.

Manny crawled to where Emma lay and mimicked her positioning. "It sucks, though, doesn't it?"

"What does?"

"That was owe our happiness to the two guys who brought us the misery we had to learn to overcome in the first place."

"Yeah," breathed Emma. "It does."

"What sucks even more is that given the chance, we'd probably go at it again, you know? Have another go with Craig and Sean, if we could."

Emma turned to Manny abruptly. "You're joking, right?"

"No," said Manny. "It's like an addiction or something; a bad habit."

"They should make patches for adolescent love."

"I agree," said Manny, leaning her head against Emma's shoulders. "I completely agree."

**END. Review, kind hearts.**


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